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Silven


Registered: 08/30/04
Posts: 2,072
Loc: El Mexicano
Last seen: 7 months, 2 days
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Incubation Heating Methods
#3190616 - 09/28/04 06:48 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Ok, before I get into this I do plan on purchasing an aquarium heater, and another tupperware tub and use that heating tek eventually, but until I get paid again I don't have the extra money to use on it...
So, what I was hoping you guys/beautiful women could help me with was some ideas on how I can get my incubation chamber warmer with just stuff that we all have lying around our houses, short of catching it or my house on fire. 
Fucknuckle's suggestion of the christmas lights in the tub was a good one, but I don't have a string short enough, and large amounts of light coming out the closet in my living room would not be good. I could see it now, one of the little kids come over and smash my mushrooms and mess with everything in there.. no good.
I need something else. Heating pad I hear works, but I also read it gives out a pretty dry heat and will dry up my jars. True? Should I put my perlite down in my chamber already, then throw the heating pad in there, and put the jars across the tub from the heating pad to prevent any kind of direct contact? Would this provide humidity and heat needed, you think?
Anyway, fire ideas out here all day I'll be checking back frequently.
Thanks so much, - Silven
-------------------- What do you bring to the table?
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hawksapprentice
Yearns to Snowboard


Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 3,195
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 8 months, 24 days
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: Silven]
#3190629 - 09/28/04 07:00 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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I wouldn't place a heating pad in the tub with wet pearlite. IMO that just asking for a fire. Water-Electricity, dont mix so well. How are your jars sealed??? Do you have an oil filled radiator available, or the equivlent?? Could you turn the heat up in just one room and just have the whole room act like an incubator???
-------------------- "I celebrate the Earth, my home, my mother, my grave, and as long as men are Man they must, if they would preserve the integrated being, do the same---[and preserve]--this rank casual hungry smelly sweaty lusting transitory body, my oozy pulpy liquid-bag-swollen body, bones, blood, hair glands, my bejeweled sex; I love and celebrate it all. never to let men forget that they are animals as much as gods---that is one thing I shall say." Edward Abbey
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Silven


Registered: 08/30/04
Posts: 2,072
Loc: El Mexicano
Last seen: 7 months, 2 days
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No, I don't have any normal moveable heat source (heaters, etc.), but what I was planning on doing with the heating pad/perlite was this.
I have wire mesh that I use to put on the bottom of the tub above the perlite for the cakes to sit on when they are ready to birth, so I figured if I cut some of that to put the heating pad in the middle of the chamber around 4" up off the perlite by itself that it shouldn't be a problem, also the cord for the heating pad would be taped up the side of the container, to prevent contact with water/wet perlite.
I'm not saying I'm going with the heating pad 100%, it's just an option right now.
My jars have two piece canning jar lids. Four innoculation holes in the lids. Two layers of foil are over the lids, one was pierced during innoculation and the second piece lays over top of this one. Both are squeezed around the lid and jar as well as I could to keep CO2 levels high, but still allow some air-flow. I'm guessing you wanted to know, to estimate the amount of moisture I'd be losing, or perhaps you know something I don't (probably ).
As far as turning the heat up in only one room, I can't do that, my thermostat doesn't support seperate environments like that, though I wish it did. I use propane and wood to heat my house as I live in the woods.
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Hambo
Limey

Registered: 09/23/04
Posts: 497
Loc: UK
Last seen: 17 years, 14 days
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: Silven]
#3190659 - 09/28/04 07:37 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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apparently the pads should be taped to the bottom of the tub, with a layer of polystyrene taped to the bottom of that..
Personally I have a small incubation chamber sitting on top of my cable box which gives out a fair whack of heat it transpires..
Other household objects that do this are anything electrical.. TV's, on top of and towards the back of fridges etc.
It's just a stop gap till I get a proper aquarium heat pad though, to use in the method above.
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Silven


Registered: 08/30/04
Posts: 2,072
Loc: El Mexicano
Last seen: 7 months, 2 days
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: Hambo]
#3190703 - 09/28/04 08:02 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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I know polystyrene is used in plates/containers etc that you get from restaurants but I couldn't find anywhere what it's melting point was. This seems like a good idea and all, but I need to know the melting point so I can be sure that my heating pad won't melt through it. Though I guess I could just leave it on low, as that's probably the level it will need to be on to get the chamber up to temp.
Thanks Hambo, and good job on your grow so far!
Also, if anyone happens to know where you could get sheets of this polystyrene, that information would be appreciated. I'm thinking maybe busy beaver, walmart, etc, but would like some confirmation if there's any to be had. 
Any other ideas out there? Please share.
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discman1
journeyman
Registered: 08/24/04
Posts: 962
Last seen: 19 years, 1 month
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: Silven]
#3190713 - 09/28/04 08:10 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Polystyrene is an insulator.. seems kinda silly to use that to seperate the tub and the pad.. I'd recommend something like a towel folded however many times you need to to keep the temperature the right level. It is going to take some experimentation.
My temporary setup just uses a small 15" fluorescent light for heat.
I have the jars in a box ontop of a bookshelf, propped up with a few books so the light will fit under it. The light is on a timer, 1 hour on, 1 hour off.
I have a digital thermometer's thermistor taped against one of the jars. This setup keeps the jars at 80 - 86?F when the ambient temperature is ~65-70?F.
I plan on doing the tub-in-tub thing when I can.
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Hambo
Limey

Registered: 09/23/04
Posts: 497
Loc: UK
Last seen: 17 years, 14 days
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: discman1]
#3191744 - 09/28/04 01:56 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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No silly, the polystyrene goes 'UNDER' the pad, and redirects the heat up at the tub, more efficient. Use the thermostat for heat control. Or make one if it doesnt have it already. Or use something *in no terms polystyrene* else as a buffer.
Sorry I should be more clear.
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ZeroArmy27
I didn't go to work for a month.

Registered: 08/31/04
Posts: 1,169
Loc: Middle of nowhere
Last seen: 5 years, 11 months
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: Hambo]
#3191900 - 09/28/04 02:42 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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i use a heating pad myself. i have it laying on an old computer case (one of the ones that you set the monitor on, it isn't an upright case)... i then lay a folded towel on top of the heating pad. then my little sterlite container sits on top of that. i finish off by putting down another towel on the inside of the container. this spreads the heat out all along the towels and heats the chamber more evenly.
hope this helped, it's worked for me.
-------------------- "a monkey would fuck you up if you tried to put it in a autoclave" - Psychoslut "it's not like the admins and mods are a tight-knit group of hippies that spend their life together in a log cabin tie-dying shirts and stringing beads inbetween bonghits." - Wiccan_Seeker
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psilomonkey
Twisted brainwrong of a oneoff man mental

Registered: 08/08/03
Posts: 812
Loc: Airstrip One
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: Silven]
#3191965 - 09/28/04 02:56 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Before I put together a tub-in-tub I put the jars in the cupboard with the hot water tank. The tub-in-tub is the way to go though, it has a nice stable temp and its easy to keep clean. I have a little stirrer pump also in mine, like in Magash's post.
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Silven


Registered: 08/30/04
Posts: 2,072
Loc: El Mexicano
Last seen: 7 months, 2 days
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: psilomonkey]
#3194648 - 09/29/04 06:22 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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Ok, so I plan on trying a mix between Hambo and Zero's ideas.
I will use the polystyrene to case over the heating pad on the bottom of my tub, and use a towel on the inside to help spread the heat uniformly across my tub.
My heating pad also has low, med, high settings, so with a little luck, the temp range I want will be one of them.
This will only have to work temporarily unless it works real good. Then I may be using this for a long time. Should it not work, I will do the tub in tub/aquarium heater technique.
Thanks for all the ideas and help! As always, good info!
- Silven
-------------------- What do you bring to the table?
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ZeroArmy27
I didn't go to work for a month.

Registered: 08/31/04
Posts: 1,169
Loc: Middle of nowhere
Last seen: 5 years, 11 months
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: Silven]
#3194877 - 09/29/04 08:57 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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oh, one more thing! heating pads are bitchy... one setting (IE - low) will give me about 80 degrees. medium pumps it up to 89. high... well.. i've never put it on high... so i just put it on low with a freshly cleaned, thick blanket and checked the temp an hour later... right at 86. another hour... 86. worked perfectly... you may have to move the heating pad around, add/remove towels... add a blanket... but you'll find the sweet spot. takes some practice, but it'll work.
-------------------- "a monkey would fuck you up if you tried to put it in a autoclave" - Psychoslut "it's not like the admins and mods are a tight-knit group of hippies that spend their life together in a log cabin tie-dying shirts and stringing beads inbetween bonghits." - Wiccan_Seeker
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KaptKid
Spaced Pirate


Registered: 12/11/03
Posts: 6,252
Loc: Bright Side of the Sun
Last seen: 4 years, 15 hours
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: Silven]
#3194953 - 09/29/04 09:25 AM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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I have also used this method.Its a good tempory.Remeber heating pads are fire hazards.
Good Luck
-------------------- Child of the 60's, Tripping ever since.
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Rockstar69
Stoner

Registered: 09/04/04
Posts: 93
Loc: Georgia
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Re: Incubation Heating Methods [Re: KaptKid]
#3203976 - 10/01/04 01:30 PM (19 years, 4 months ago) |
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I ordered a Repti Temp 500r temp controller for my 20gallon tank. Its a sensor on a tube that'll go into my tank, on the other end its a power plug that goes on/off to keep the temp what i set..
Would a Heatpad work fine on a 20 gallon tank w/ the 500r or is there a better heat source to use with my temp controller?.. for long term use
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